Holly Lisle

I first read this book when I was probably around 10, and vague memories of it have haunted me ever since. Luckily quarantine has left me too emotionally exhausted to read my big girl books, and I finally gave this one a reread.
In a lot of ways, it holds up better than I would have expected. The concept is solid and fairly well-developed given its target audience, and the conflict feels real and consequential while still being appropriate enough for the protagonists' ages.
I was slightly disappointed that despite the slavery, murder, and genocide that take place, this book is much less scary than I remember it being. Probably a good thing as it is, after all, a children's book. Other than that, he ending is a little cheesy and (in some ways) deeply weird, but kudos to 10 year old me—this one's not bad, like, at all.… (more)